American Woodcock

14 years ago

When what to my wondering eyes should appear.....here is today's unexpected sighting - an American Woodcock in my yard!

The woodcock was digging into the snow/leaf litter in one of the areas where I spread birdseed.

A turkey noticed the woodcock and got very upset - apparently turkeys hate woodcocks. Who knew? The turkey ran around and then entered a staring contest with the woodcock. After a short time the woodcock blinked and got chased away.

The woodcock soon reappeared in a different, turkey-free area.

Claire

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Comments (9)

kendra2003
14 years ago
That is amazing. To see a woodcock at all is pretty cool, but to see one in the winter that far north is really lucky. Thanks so much for sharing those pictures. Those are really awesome.
bandjzmom
14 years ago
Wow. A really cool sighting indeed Claire! Love the last pic! I have never seen a Woodcock, and I enjoyed seeing yours. Thanks for sharing!!~~Angie
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I just saw the Woodcock again today! It is just chilling in the area by my ponds. I was standing on the rocks by the pond looking around, wondering where he was and stuff and there he was! about ten feet from me, looking up at me. This is a great way to start a new year of wildlife watching. If you would have asked me before what an American Woodcock was, I would have guessed it to be something like a pheasant or quail, maybe. Woodcocks, though, seem to be a totally unique species. I guess you could say they are like a shorebird or a snipe, but they don't occupy the same niche or habitat. I also read that they sustain themselves almost entirely one earthworms! I will admit that whenever it hit the window I, and I still did know what it was, thought that I may be having quail for dinner if the bird had expired from the crash. This guy though is too unique, rare to me, and way too friendly looking to eat. It is now my favorite inhabitant of the gardens. I was worried that he may have been injured and the coons would find him in the night. This morning I thoroughly inspected the area where he was, I found some white bird squirts, but he was no where to be found. I think I am gonna try to get some more pics, but I don't want to disturb him too much. He has been returning though all this week whenever I have stirred it. Catherinet, have you ever seen them doing there arial dance or arial mating acrobatics, or anybody else? I have seen the tumbling pigeons to similar displays, and as a kid I remeber seeing something like this, but I have no idea what it was.
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claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks - the woodcock hung around until it started getting dark. I'm really looking forward to seeing if it comes back tomorrow. Today and tomorrow are my Project FeederWatch count days and I have a nice entry this week.

It somehow reminded me of a long-billed Shmoo with feathers for those of you who remember the Li'l Abner cartoon strip.

Claire
rachel_frome_ky
14 years ago
That is so COOL! Thank you for taking the photos and sharing them with us!
Mind if I post this link on Twitter?
terrene
14 years ago
Very cool, Claire. I've never seen one, what an unusual looking bird.
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
14 years ago
You can post it on Twitter if you want, Rachel. I don't tweet myself, at least not yet, but the bird deserves a little notoriety. There's just something endearing about a woodcock.

I'd never seen (or heard) one before either, terrene, and I may never see one again. The woodcock didn't come back yesterday or today - it may have just come into my yard because the big storm buried its usual food sources.

Claire
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
Original Author
14 years ago
Just one more photo from that same day. The turkey had gone to wherever the turkeys hang out and the woodcock came back and was digging in the company of the more common feeder birds.

I don't think it was eating birdseed. It kept digging in the mulch/wood chips/leaf litter near a shrub. There was just a thin layer of snow there. Maybe it was finding grubs that the skunks missed.

Claire
rachel_frome_ky
14 years ago
A former forum member, who has since moved to Twitter, said that she once cut up a frozen pumpkin with a hatchet and tossed it in the backyard. That night she turned on the back porch light and was startled to see about six woodcocks out in the snow eating the pumpkin chunks.

I tried it in the fall with my old Halloween pumpkin and had zero luck. Maybe the ground has to be frozen to make Woodcocks seek alternative food.
rachel_frome_ky
14 years ago
Link to current twitter page, showing comments on Woodcock photos

http://itweet.net/web/index.php

I don't know how long it will be relevant to the Woodcock photos though as it keeps renewing

American Woodcock

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